Written Answers Tuesday 13 July 2010

Scottish Executive

Curriculum for Excellence

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding in the current financial year each local authority is dedicating to the development and implementation of the Curriculum for Excellence.

Michael Russell: We expect all local authorities to have in place plans for the implementation of Curriculum for Excellence (CfE), but information on local funding to support these is not held centrally.

  Despite current financial constraints, the Scottish Government is providing significant funding to local government - £35 billion over the period 2008-11. Under the terms of the Concordat, all education authorities have flexibility to allocate available resources in response to local needs and priorities, including implementation of CfE.

  We are providing direct support to local authorities for CfE through the 10 point plan, including targeted support for those schools who need it, practical materials to provide clarity on what is expected, and £3 million to help support the implementation of quality assurance and moderation of assessment.

Education

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many non-verbal children there are in schools, broken down by age.

Michael Russell: The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally.

  However, as part of the annual pupil census the Scottish Government collects information on the reasons for the provision of additional support. This can be found at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/School-Education/PubPupilCensus.

Flood Prevention

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will instruct the Scottish Environment Protection Agency to liaise with the Met Office to conduct a weather radar network review with the aim of providing a better service for flood prevention.

Roseanna Cunningham: SEPA is in regular dialogue with the Met Office. It has produced a business case for a potential joint flood forecasting service which I am currently considering.

Physical Education

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many schools in Fife have offered pupils two hours of physical education per week in each year since 2007, also expressed as a percentage of the total schools in the region.

Michael Russell: The Scottish Government has not routinely collected detailed statistics on the provision of PE in schools either before or since the one-off compilation of statistics in 2005.

Rights of Way

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether a local or national park authority, in drawing up a core path plan, has the power to identify core paths on a route that is not a pre-existing right of way.

Roseanna Cunningham: Yes.

Teachers

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to encourage local authorities to borrow from the £10 million made available for early retirement packages for teachers.

Michael Russell: It is up to local authorities to decide whether they need to borrow to fund early retirement packages for teachers, depending on their particular local needs and circumstances.

Wildlife

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what legislation would require to be amended to provide wild hares with full conservation status.

Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government presently does not consider that there is a conservation case for full protection of brown hares. However, the option remains available in the future, to add the brown hare to the species protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act by secondary legislation at any time, and following consultation with Scottish Natural Heritage. Mountain hares already receive a degree of protection through The Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994 which prohibits certain methods of killing or taking this species, including any means which is indiscriminate and capable of causing the local disappearance of, or serious disturbance to, a population of them.

Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what organisations are consulted during the quinquennial reviews of Schedules 5 and 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

Roseanna Cunningham: The Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) consulted a wide range of interest groups before making their recommendations. These can be found listed in documents on the JNCC website at  http://www.jncc.gov.uk/page-4292 . Section 22 of the 1981 Act requires the Scottish Government to consult Scottish Natural Heritage, and any other body it deems necessary before bringing forward proposals for changes to the schedules of the 1981 Act. The Scottish Government will shortly be issuing a consultation document which will be available on the Scottish Government website.

Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what opportunities exist outwith the quinquennial reviews to include additional species of animals and plants in Schedules 5 and 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

Roseanna Cunningham: Scottish Ministers may by secondary legislation, add or remove species on Schedules 5 and 8 at any time, following consultation with Scottish Natural Heritage and any other body it deems necessary.

Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what protection is afforded to the species of plants included in Schedule 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

Roseanna Cunningham: Special protection is afforded by the Act to plants listed on Schedule 8 as set out in Sections 13(1) and 13(2) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. This includes intentionally or recklessly picking, uprooting, destroying, or offering for sale, any plant on Schedule 8.

Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what protection is afforded to the species of animals included in Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

Roseanna Cunningham: Special protection is afforded by the Act to animals listed on Schedules 5 as set out in Sections 9(1), 9(2), 9(4), and 9(5) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. This includes intentionally or recklessly killing, injuring, or taking any animal on Schedule 5.